Plug button, closure, and the like



May 15, 1951 P. D. BECKER 2,552,919

- PLUG BUTTON, CLOSURE, AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 17, 1948 INVENTOR.PHILIP D. BECKER BYW ATTORNEY.

Patented May 15, 1951 UNITED ES DEFJXCE rLueBuTmN. CtO RaA D THE-LIKEpplicat o No ember 17, 94?? Ser N 60 5 0 (01. izzofifio.)

:dsfllaims. l The present invention relates to plug buttons and the likeadapted for attachmentto apertured supports, and aims generally toimprove existing devices of thattype.

More particularly, the invention relates to that type of plug buttonclosure and the like shown and described in my copending applicationSerial No. 60,497, filed Nov. 17, 1948, and Serial No. 60,498, filedNov. 17, 1948, in which the attaching member of the plug button 'orclosure comprises an axially spaced support-engaging fastener-supportingannulus and a cap-supporting rim.

A primary object of the present invention is the provision of animproved cap member'for attachment to the cap-supporting rim of theattaching member, which'rim advantageously comprises a circular seriesof .circumferentially spaced flanged sections.

A iurther objectof the invention is the provision of an improved capstructurewhic'h :may be c i ped o len hedt e m iltip eapa annular rimwhile resisting radialinward movement of the. rim sections during'thecapping operation.

Other aims and objects of the 'inventionvvill be apparentito personsskilled in the art towhich the'invention relates-from a consideration ofthe accompanying drawings and..-annexed specification illustrating anddescribin a preferredembodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a plug button as applied to an aperturedsupport;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of a blank suitable for forming anattaching member for the plug button or closure;

Fig. 4 is a detail transverse sectional View of the plug button orclosure as taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a detail transverse sectional view of the plug button orclosure as taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a portion of another form of blank suitable forforming the attaching member of the plug button or closure and the like;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged transverse sectional view illustrating the firststep of applying a cap member to the attaching member shown in Fig. 6;and

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view illustrating the completedcap-attaching member.

Referring to the drawings, the plug button, closure or the like ispreferably of two-part construction comprising an attaching member IDand a cap member [5.

The attaching =member l 0 maybe of any suitable construction, preferablyof the type-disclosed in my two copending applications aforesaid, andadvantageously comprises lan inner annulus or ring member l l supportinga circular series of circumferentially spaced support-engaging fastenermembers ll=2 extending divergently toward an axially spacedcap-supporting rim, the latter comprisinga circular series of segments:13, each connected to the annulus or ring member I ibyaconnecting-strut I 4. {This type of attaching member i e is moref-ully disclosed in my co.- pending applications aforesaid, andreference 'is made thereto for a more complete illustrationanddescription of the construction'of that member. It will be understoodthat said circular series of segments I3 collectively make up thecap-supporting rim. The segments H 3 are rnov able radially inwardly-when-pressure is applied circumferentially beingconnectedgtothe-annulus I l bythe struts-m.

The :cap 15 may be of any suitable construction, such forexampleas-anannular ring member or acontinuous closure for thecap-supporting rim, depending upon the 'use a-nd nature of theinstallation inwhich the plug button is used, as is well=understood inthe art'.

Referring to the embodimentof the invention shown in Figs-3 to *5inclusive, the pap-supporting rim is composed of circuimferenti'a-llyspace segments 1 3 bent at an angle' to the divergent struts l4 andgenerally disposed in a common horizontal plane. The segments l3 may beof any desired length, depending largely upon the desired width andshape of the intervening support-engaging fastener member l2 and may beof such length that adjacent ends of adjoining segments will be spacedapart. In such a construction the segments l3 and struts I4 will beradially inwardly movable as the struts are flexed about theirconnection with the annular rim ll.

lfhe cap I5 preferably comprises a continuous annular rim 2| providedwith an angularly extending annular bead 22 inwardly of the peripheraledge of the rim and of a diameter equal to the diameter between opposedstruts M of the finished plug button. The bead 22 provides an angularshoulder or abutment for the struts H to limit or restrain radial inwardmovement of the struts as the outer marginal edge portion of the rim 2|is folded or crimped around the segments l3.

In Figs. 7 and 8 there is illustrated a modified form of the inventionin which the segments 33 are of inverted U- or V-shape and are adaptedto collectively provide a cap-supporting rim.

The cap 40 is preferably pre-shaped to provide a deep marginal flange 4|outwardly of a peripheral annular groove 42 adapted to receive thereversely flanged segments 33, the inner circumferential wall 44 of thegroove 42 providing an abutment to restrain radial inward movement ofthe struts 34 as the marginal edge or rim of the flange 4| is folded orcrimped around the flanged segments 33, as shown in Fig. 8.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, the invention permitsthe initial shaping of the attaching member to a predetermined diameterand the ready application of the cap member to the cap-supporting rimthereof which may be composed of radially resilient and movablesections.

Although I have illustrated and described preferred forms of theinvention, I do not intend to be restricted thereto as the scope of theinvention is'best defined in the appended claims.

--Ic1aim: V V 1. A plug button or like closure for attachment to anapertured support comprising an attaching member having an annularfastener supporting rim, a plurality of resilient fastener membersextending obliquely'from said rim, a

circular series of circumferentially spaced radial arms extendingoutwardly from and obliquely to said rim, the outer terminal ends of thearms being flanged to provide cap-supporting surfaces,

a closure cap provided with an annular embossment inwardly of itsperipheral edge adapted to fit and engage a portion of the inner facesof said obliquely disposed arms to restrain said arms from inward radialmovement, and said cap having a rim portion outwardly, of saidembossment foldable over said arm flanges to secure the cap in assemblywith said attaching member;

2. A plug button or like closure for attachment to an apertured supportcomprising an attaching member having an annular fastener supportingrim, a plurality of resilient fastener members extending obliquely fromsaid rim, a circular series of circumferentially spaced radial armsextending outwardly from and obliquely to said rim, the outer terminalends of the arms being flanged to provide cap-supporting surfaces, aclosure cap provided with an annular bead adapted to be positionedwithin said circular series of arms to restrain inward radial movementthereof, and an outer terminal ends of the arms being reversely flangedto provide collectively a cap-supporting rim, a closure cap providedwith peripheral grooves adapted to receive and embrace saidcapsupporting rim and to restrain said arms from inward radial movement,an outer peripheral portion of said groove being bindable around saidrim to secure the cap in assembly with the attaching member.

A plug button or like closure for attachment to an apertured supportcomprising an attaching member having an annular fastener-supportingrim, a plurality of resilient fastener members extending obliquely fromsaid rim, a circular series of circumferentially spaced arms extendingangularly outward from said rim, the outer terminal ends of the armsbeing flanged to provide cap-supporting surfaces, a closure cap providedwith an annular shoulder adapted to flt and en- 7 gage portions of theinner faces of said angularly disposed arms to restrain inward radialmovement thereof, said closure cap having an annular rim outwardly ofsaid shoulder and foldable over said arm flanges to secure the cap inassembly with said attaching member.

r PHILIP D. BECKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

